Dealing with Diabetes
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Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 Time: 3:47 PM
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Dealing with Diabetes
Research has shown this chronic condition can be controlled and
greatly improved by conscientious lifestyle changes—i.e., weight
loss, diet, exercise—and in many ways yoga can help.
By Stacie Stukin
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/563_1.cfm
You probably don't think about diabetes—but you should. Diabetes can
strike people at almost any age. More than 16 million Americans are
affected—an increase of 33 percent from 1990 to 1998, according to
the Centers for Disease Control. Diabetes can lead to debilitating
or fatal complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, heart
disease, and amputations.While this may paint a bleak picture, the
outlook for diabetics is bright. Research has shown this chronic
condition can be controlled and greatly improved by conscientious
lifestyle changes—i.e., weight loss, diet, exercise—and in many ways
yoga can help.
There are two kinds of diabetes. Type 1 usually affects those under
the age of 30 and is caused by an autoimmune or genetic dysfunction
where the pancreas fails to release enough insulin, which is crucial
in breaking down sugar in the body. Type 2 diabetes, which affects
more than 90 percent of diabetics, is usually diagnosed in people
over 40 who are generally overweight and inactive. Unlike type 1,
the pancreas secretes enough insulin, but the body cannot
effectively use it.
Exercise is a big part of diabetes treatment because it increases
insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar. A report in the New
England Journal of Medicine (May 3, 2001) found people at a higher
risk for contracting type 2 diabetes can reduce their chance of
getting the disease by 58 percent by losing as little as 10 pounds,
exercising, and adopting a healthy diet.
And many have turned to yoga to battle the emotional and physical
challenges of weight loss. Several Indian and European studies have
indicated yoga also may help reduce insulin-regulating medication by
lowering blood sugar levels. But because people under stress have
elevated blood sugar levels, it's difficult to determine whether
asanas and meditation work because they relax patients or because
specific poses stimulate the pancreas, causing it to release more
insulin.
Either way, some believe a yoga intervention has to transcend the
pancreas and insulin problem. "If you work just the pancreas and not
the other organs, then you do not create a balance," says Shanti
Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., who teaches Kundalini Yoga techniques to
diabetics. "Diabetes has to do with carbohydrate metabolism, so I
also advise rhythmic movements, like charnjap, a yogic form of
walking that involves breath and mantra and can improve metabolism."
Yet it's important to keep in mind that yoga is but one component
for treatment. Says David Simon, M.D., of the Chopra Center in San
Diego: "Yoga can help, but diabetics need more; they need aerobic,
strength-building activities."
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